Over 573 000 children face malnutrition
The United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) has said 573 000 children in Malawi are at risk of malnutrition this year despite the country registering a significant decrease in all forms of malnutrition.
In a written response, Unicef Malawi chief of nutrition Dr. Mamadou Ndiaye observed that children from the Cyclone Freddy affected districts of Blantyre, Chikwawa, Mulanje, Nsanje, Phalombe and Zomba are the most impacted due to increased food insecurity, as well as poor access to water and basic sanitation services.
He described the situation as worrisome, citing inadequate dietary intake and infectious diseases as some of the factors contributing to the rising cases.
Said Ndiaye: “Factors contributing to this are inadequate dietary intake as evidenced by only 9.4 per cent of children aged six-23 months meeting the minimum acceptable diet in Malawi, and infectious diseases leading to weakness of the immune system and increased susceptibility to growth faltering.
“Additionally, food insecurity remains a challenge due to recurrent climatic shocks, health pandemics and poor water and sanitation.”
He has since called for the right investments and scaling up of other social services to positively impact on improving children’s lives.
“In Cyclone Freddy affected districts, communities have lost crops and livestock and might face challenges meeting their basic needs for food and health. Unicef anticipates this might further deteriorate the already fragile nutrition status of under-five children with increased severe acute malnutrition,” said Ndiaye.
In a separate interview, Department of Nutrition, HIV and Aids director Dr. Felix Pensulo Phiri admitted that this year has been worse in terms of child malnourishment following the challenges as a result cholera, Cyclone Freddy and fertiliser supplies resulting from the Ukraine War.
“All this has affected production and food supplies which already puts people at risk,” he said.
According to Unicef, under-nutrition can have adverse effects on children such as susceptibility to infection, with high risk of deaths due to common childhood illnesses.
